Golden Gilmore
by Flying Thunderbird
Summary: Gilmore Girls don't do sports, but when Rory Gilmore goes on a trip to the gym at the age of 7, she falls in love with gymnastics. One-shot.


I was researching for a story about Make it or Break it and ended up watching the 2000 Gymnastics woman's all-around. And that is when I realized that Rory would have been sixteen in 2000, and therefore could have participated.

Well, after that this thing wouldn't leave my head until I wrote it down. Then I forgot about it until I saw it on my computer today.

Summary: Gilmore Girls don't do sports, but when Rory Gilmore goes on a trip to the gym at the age of 7, she falls in love with gymnastics. One-shot.

Disclaimer: I own Nothing. At all. I am not responsible for historical inconsistences born from Rory's mad idea to become a gymnast. ;)

* * *

"This is an incredible turnaround for these games. I still can't understand how something like this could happen" Tim Daggett's voice said through the television.

"Right now, all the rotations are done but the gymnasts who decided to take another turn at the vault are warming up." Al said, turning to his fellow commentators. "Let's have a quick review of what took place here, at the Sydney Superdome.

"Today, the all-around women's individual final started with the leader from the qualification, Svetlana Khorkina, on floor, and the surprise top American qualifier, Rory Gilmore, on Vault. Khorkina wowed the audience with a fantastic 9.812, but Gilmore had subpar performance on vault, in fact, despite her qualifying in eight place, she fell down on both of her vaults." Al said, while images of the events were shown to the viewers.

"That's right Al" Elfie said, giving her input. "It was an extremely scary fall and it seemed like all the American hopes for an all-around medal were dashed."

"As the rotation ended and Rory moved on to the uneven bars, the Russian star moved to vault, where history repeated itself. Khorkina fell on her first vault, completely destroying her dream of the all-around medal." Tim continued. "But interestingly, while the fall on vault completely threw Khorkina out of her game, resulting in a fall on the uneven bars, Rory Gilmore seemed committed to put it behind her and move on, resulting in her best scores ever on the rest of the apparatus. It was truly inspiring."

"And then the impossible happened. The vault, the apparatus were so many top contenders had fallen, was too low. The judges and officials raised it, but already half the contestants had had their turn. For a while, no one knew what would happen, but then, the official confirmation. Everyone who had competed with the faulty vault could have a second attempt." Al continued, as the images showed a judge approaching Svetlana Khorkina. "For Khorkina it was too late. But for Rory Gilmore, it might be just in time."

The camera zoomed in on the commentator's booth, as the three Americans brought their attention back to the vault, were the warm ups had just finished.

"Tim, Elfie, tell us what could happen now, considering Rory's chances of a medal."

"Well, Al, her chances couldn't be better. If you take away the vaults, she is actually in third right now. So, as long as she scores higher then 9.454, she will win the bronze." Tim said, and for the first time in the competition, he sounded incredibly excited. "But the thing is, Rory is actually a vault specialist. She qualified for this event here in the Olympic games and is the current world silver medalist. So, she is perfectly capable of getting a 9.7 or more. And that, could definitely give her the silver, or even the gold!"

"Well, we will only know after she takes her turn. She will be the fifth athlete to have her chance to change her fate." Elfie said.

"We will see everything live, when we come back after the break." Al said, as the camera zoomed in on Rory Gilmore, who was jumping up and down to keep herself warm as she waited for her turn.

* * *

Somewhere in the autumn of 1990, when Rory had just turned six, the Stars Hollow elementary had gone on a day trip to Hartford. They had seen the sights, visited a couple of museums and ended their day at a gym. Why a school trip included a visit to a gym, Lorelai never understood. Maybe they had paid the school to go there, so they could find new potential students.

All that mattered was that Rory had fallen in love with it. She had come home babbling about everything she had seen and done, a note from the gym coaches on her pocket, inviting her to come train with them. Lorelai had never seen her so excited.

At first, she thought her daughter would soon forget all about it. After all Gilmore girls and sports didn't mix very well. However, the Hayden genes had proved to have some influence, because Rory hadn't forgotten at all. She had started doing cartwheels and handstands all over their place. She even found a few logs of wood to make up a balance beam.

Lorelai Gilmore was a stubborn woman, but she loved her daughter and wanted her to be happy. After weeks of seeing her jump around and speak excitedly about the gymnastics world championships she had seen on TV at Lane's house, Lorelai caved and called the gym in Hartford to ask about their programs and fees.

They had been interested. That much had been obvious. They told her of how Rory was a natural and how enthusiastic she was. She had been flattered. It was not every day that someone told her that her daughter was gifted.

The problem was the money. After they told her the fees she would have to pay she had politely told them she would consider her options before hanging up. After six years of working as a maid in the Independence Inn, she had started to have a more important role and a better salary. But if she wanted to keep saving money so she could have enough to move out to a nice house with Rory, she couldn't afford the Gym.

She had gritted her teeth and decided to forget it, convincing herself that Rory would eventually move on.

It hadn't worked, obviously.

A week later, Rory came back from school with a bruised cheek. When she asked what happened she told her that she had fallen when she was trying to do some move that she couldn't even remember. That's when Lorelai first understood the dangers of letting her daughter try gymnastics moves on her own. If she fell down wrong, she could gravely hurt herself.

She had tried to convince Rory to stop doing her tricks. That they were too dangerous. But her fearless daughter wouldn't listen and insisted that she just had to practice and she wouldn't fall.

In the end, she had surrendered. The evidence spoke for itself. And there was only one solution.

She had to go see her parents.

She had to go back to her childhood home, back to the stifling environment and the ridiculous opinions of the world she had ran away from.

She had to swallow her pride and ask her parents for something she had sworn to herself she would never ask for.

Money.

The visit to Richard and Emily Gilmore had gone as expected.

Her mother wanted her back, she said no.

Her father asked about Chris. She said they weren't together.

Her mother made a snide comment about her life choices. She tried – and failed – to ignore it and gave her own sarcastic response.

In the end she explained why she was there and, as expected, her mother jumped at the chance of having any form of control over her life.

Eventually, it was decided that her parents would pay for Rory to go to the Gym in Hartford, and they would also arrange for her to be picked up at school and then dropped off at the Inn. In return, Lorelai and Rory would go to dinner at their house every Friday.

It was a small price to pay, she decided, when Rory came home every day, with a smile so big it almost split her face in half, telling her all about what she had learned to do that day.

Now, ten years later, she was in Sydney, nervously chewing on her lip, with her mother's hand in hers, as her little girl tried to become an Olympic medalist.

* * *

Ten years ago, when her daughter had come asking for money to pay for Rory's gym fees, Emily Gilmore had not even remotely thought that being in the Olympic Games would even be a possibility. Well, maybe to watch them with her granddaughter by her side, but never with Rory down on the floor competing.

At first it had all been fun and games. Rory loved doing those gymnastics tricks and she got to see her granddaughter every day when she picked her up at school. When her training started to get more serious, and Rory went into homeschooling, she convinced Lorelai to let her put Rory in homeschooling programs from the best private schools in the state, designed for children from rich and busy parents that didn't want to be separated from their children while doing business around the world. She started picking up Rory in the mornings and having lunch with her even!

Then Rory placed second at her first Junior Nationals – which they attended, of course – and that meant international assignments and more training. And that meant that she sometimes spent the night at their house, to cut on travel time. Since Lorelai didn't want Rory to stay alone at her grandparents' house, she came to stay with them too.

Slowly, but surely, her relationship with her daughter had improved. It was certainly not perfect, not at all, but it was better.

The last two years had been different. The year Rory would turn fifteen was the year before the Olympics, so she could start competing with the seniors. That year she had won gold medals on vault and floor at nationals, finishing third on the all-around. That had made sure she was chosen for the world team, where she was fourth on floor and won a silver medal on vault. She was the only American, male or female, to win a medal in China.

Suddenly, Rory was the American hope for a medal in Sidney. Not in the all-around, certainly. But on the individual apparatus were she specialized.

There were managers knocking on their doors with sponsorship deals and offers of money to represent certain brands. University scholarships from institutions from all over the country were being offered.

In the end, since the Universities of the NCAA didn't include Harvard or Yale, they never stood a chance. Rory signed with an agency, with the agreement that the media work wouldn't compromise her training for the Olympics.

The next year at Nationals, Rory had come second, and had once more won gold on vault and floor, but this time she had won the bronze on beam.

Once again, people believed she would medal on her event finals, but no one thought that she would be able to surpass the top Americans on the All-around – much less the Europeans – despite her results at Nationals.

Rory had smiled at the journalists when they had asked her about her all-around, and told them she would train hard and try her best. She had been confident and focused on being at her best as she left for camp.

Emily looked at the girls sitting on the other side of Lorelai. When they found out that Rory would be coming to Sidney, they had invited her two closest friends to come along. The money was not a problem and she and Richard wanted their granddaughter to have her friends to share this moment with.

They had clapped and screamed together when Rory qualified as the top American, proving everyone wrong, and now they were all waiting, holding their breaths until Rory finished her vault.

* * *

As Rory ran down towards the vault, executing a perfect – at least it looked perfect to them – vault, sticking the landing and saluting to the judges, Paris and Lane both let out a "yes" pumping their fists in the air.

Sitting back down to wait for the score and the next run, they held each other's hands again.

Paris and Lane would not consider each other friends on a normal day, they would say they were more like acquaintances brought together by a mutual friend. Lane and Rory had met first, before either of them could remember, and had become as thick as thieves. Not even the fact they no longer went to school together had managed to break their bond.

Paris, on the other hand had only met Rory when she started high school. Rory was on Chilton's homeschooling program, and so had needed a student contact in her year at school. Since she had put journalism as one of her interests, and stated she would like to write some articles for the school paper as extra credit, Paris had ended up being drafted as the other girl student contact. At first, she had been annoyed by the extra work she would have, just because of who she thought was a brainless debutante. But then, she had met Rory in person and had been surprised and impressed by her dedication and commitment. Her articles were also not bad, and her interest in writing had meant they always had something to talk about. All in all, a little more than one year later, the two of them considered each other good friends.

Oh, there had been ups and downs. Like Rory's one-time boyfriend Dean, who had been kicked to the curb when he started to demand she spend too much time with him and less time in gymnastics, and of course Tristan Dugrey.

Paris shook her head, thinking about her old friend. How Tristan thought that being an idiot would get Rory's attention she would never understand.

She put the thought of stupid boys behind her as she applauded Rory's score on her first vault.

* * *

Dean stared wide eyed at his TV. The Stars Hollow Town was watching the live feed of the Olympics at huge party in the park.

The crowd had applauded and gowned along with the happenings on TV, and the insults and swears had gone off when the faulty Vault had been found.

He had never actually thought that Rory would ever get to the Olympics. Much less have the opportunity to win a medal. He figured that the chances were so small, that she shouldn't be wasting her time trying, when she could be spending it with him.

Well, apparently it was possible.

* * *

Sending a cheer at the awesome score, Tristan clapped and waited for the last vault.

"You got it Mary!" He said.

He hoped she won. She deserved it after he had been such a jerk. He sighed and looked around. Military school wasn't easy, but at least he didn't have his father annoying him.

* * *

Rory took a deep breath, before taking of at top speed towards the vault. Five seconds later her feet were firmly sticking the landing, and she knew she had a medal. But which one was it?

The next minutes of waiting for the results were agonizing. She felt nervous and almost couldn't look at the scoreboard.

Then suddenly her coach was lifting her up and shouting "You Won! You got the Gold!"

The most amazing feeling of exhilaration took over her.

* * *

"Please welcome, two times Olympic Gold Medalist, Rory Gilmore!" The announcer said.

"Thank you for having me!" Rory said to Ophrah, hardly believing that she was sitting next to the legendary woman.

"An All-Around title, the first Olympic one since Mary Lou, and another gold on Vault, the apparatus that almost killed the first medal. Tell me all about it!"

"Oh, it was amazing! We..."

* * *

Gymnastics Today! Is proud to bring you an exclusive interview and pictures of the American Gymnast Rory Gilmore.

The Gymnast talks about her goals for 2004, her medals on the 2001 World Championships and how much she worked to face off against the Russians and dominate at the top level.

* * *

On ESPN Tonight! The story of a Champion. Watch as Rory Gilmore is chosen as 2003 sportswoman of the year after guaranteeing her world title for the third time in a row! Get to know her story and her struggles, as she becomes the most decorated American female gymnast of all time.

* * *

And you can't miss on the Athens Olympics this week!

Swimming: Watch the young star Michael Phelps as he tries to win his fifth medal!

Gymnastics: Rory Gilmore, already with a Gold in the All-Around, is trying to repeat her results from Sydney with another one on Vault!

And in athletics don't miss...

* * *

"Huntzberger, what are you doing?" He heard One of the girls in the Yale Daily News asking in her annoying voice.

"London, right?" He asked, lazily lifting his hat from his face.

"It's Paris! And I need you to look presentable! I have an important guest coming in for an interview!" Paris said, narrowing her eyes and looking around at any possible offenders.

He lifted his eyebrows and was going to respond when Doyle came in and announced loudly "She is here!"

In came a beautiful brunet with blue eyes. She looked a bit familiar to him. Maybe they had crossed paths before?

She greeted everyone in the room, before following Paris and Doyle into a meeting room.

"OMG, I can't believe I met Rory Gilmore!" A girl in another desk said swooning. "I knew she went to Yale but I hadn't met her before. Her schedule is so packed!"

A guy game closer nodding in agreement. "The only reason we even got the interview is because she is friends with Geller."

Logan frowned. "Is she anything special?"

The whole room turned to him, surprised. "What?" He asked.

The guy beside him gave him an incredulous look. "Have you been living under a rock? That is Rory Gilmore. Four times Olympic Gold Medalist. The only one to win the Olympic All-Around two times in a row since 1968! Greatest female American Gymnast of all time! Three times Sportswoman of the Year! And she is still only 20!"

He raised his hands in surrender. "Ok, ok! I stand corrected." He rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath. "Fanboy much?"

But he was impressed. Gilmore was a very well-known name. The girl was probably filthy rich. To dedicate herself to something as hard as going to the Olympics was something else.

Well, the Gilmores were throwing a party this Friday. Maybe he could get to know her a bit.

* * *

Who would guess that five years later he would be marrying that girl? Well he wouldn't.

(THE END)


End file.
